Ship-protector.



R. H. MAXWELL.

SHIP PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION man N0v.8. |917.

Patnted Sept. 17, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

R. H. MAXWELL.

SHIP PROTECTOR. l APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, T917. 1,278,970. v Patented sept. 17,1918.

SHEET 2.

4 SHEETS- R. H. MAXWELL.

SHIP PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 8, umY

Patented Sept. 17

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

IIS!

I l NIZW- New R. H. MAXWELL.

SHIP PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. s, IQII.

lPateted Sept. 17, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.-

SHIP-PROTECTOR.

i Leraars.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Sept. 1.7, 1918.

Application filed November 8, 1917. Serial No.200,930.

To aU whom t may concern Be it known that I, RUSSELL H. MAXWELL, a citizen of the Unit-ed States, and a resident of the city of Trenton and county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ship-Protectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to devices for protecting ships, and more particularly to devices of this nature adapted to be carried by the side of a vessel and swung to operative position at will to guard against destruction of the vessel by torpedoes.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device of this nature which may be readily swung from inoperative to operative position, and which when in operative position will protect the entire side of the vessel from the water line to the keel.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a protector in the vform of an outrigging adapted to normally occupy but little space so as to offer comparativelyv small resistance to passage through the water.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a protecting device in the form Vof a plurality of bars spaced apart so that the water may readily pass between the same thereby relieving the device to a large extent from thc-impact of heavy seas.

lStill another object of the present invention is to construct a protecting device of two members wherein one of the members acts as a trigger operating means for the other member.

A still further and important object of the invention is to provide a protecting device of the presentI character with members adapted to normally occupy inoperative positions, and constructed to be automatically swung to operative positions in which they will effectively bar the passage of a torpedo.

A still further object `of the invention is to provide a protecting device in the form of an outrigging which may be easily folded to inoperative position so that the same shall occupy a minnnum space.

A still further and important object of this invention is'to construct the protector of a series of sections s'o that the destruction of one or more of the sections does not necessitate the repair of the entire structure, thereby reducing the cost of upkeepV to a minimum.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, together with their attendant advantages, will beappa-rent as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following specification, and drawings forming a part thereof, throughout the sev* eral views of which like characters of reference have been used to indicate like parts.

It has heretofore been old to provide vessels with solid sheets offprotecting material adapted to be supportedat therdesired distance from the side of a vessel so as to intercept the passage of a torperlo. Devices of this general nature have been objectionable for the reason that they interfere with the free motion of the water when the vessel is traveling in a heavy sea and thereby act to a certain extent as break-waters which must sustain substantially the entire impact of the waves. If a protector of this type is constructed with sufficient rigidity to withstand such impact, it in turn transmits the same to the vessel so that the progress of the same is impeded. On the other hand such devices are also objectionable for the reason that they interfere with the free travel of the vessel through the water due both to their weight and to the skin resistance offered by reason of the large surface presented.

A modification of protectors such as before referredV to has been contemplated in `which the protecting member comprises nets, cables or the like. lVhile such constructions eliminate to a large extent the objections existing in connection with solid protectors, they have possessed such a degree of flexibility that they tended to interfere with the free roll of the vessehand they have not presented suiiicient protecting surface to intercept the passage of all torpedoes.4

With the present invention the difficulties before referred to are to a large extent overcome. I have provided a protecting device in the form of an outrigging presenting comparatively little surface to bar the free motion of the water, or to retard the progress of the vessel through the water. At, the same time the protector is so constructed that the effective protecting surface is automatically increased by a torpedo upon its approach, so that its passage to the ship is successfully blocked.

Realizing that my invention may assume different structural embodiments within the scope of the appended claims, I desire the drawings to be considered as illustrative of. the preferred' form of my invention, rather than in av limiting sense.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a sectional view of a vessel having my protecting device applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of said vessel showing the sectional arrangement of the protecting device.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of a part of the inner and outer protectors,

Fig. 4i is an end view of the construction shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of a form of rod support for the outer protectors.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the torpedo intercepting blades.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7.

Fig. l0 is a detail view showing a method of pivotally connecting the boom sections.

Fig. 1l is an enlarged detail view of a sliding brace employed.

Fig. l2 is an enlarged detail view partly in section of one of the supporting carriages for the protectors.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have illustrated a ship l of any desired construction in position for unloading on a dock 2. For preventing the vessel from approaching the`dock closely enough to injure the protecting device, there may be provided a row of piling 4 spaced a suitable distance from the dock and adapted to act as a stop maintaining the vessel at all times a predetermined distance from the dock.

The protecting device herein shown pref'- erably comprises av plurality of sections S, each section being composed of an inner protector 5 and an outer protector 6, both of which are supported by carriages 7 having anti-friction wheels S adapted to travel on the track-ways 9 formed on the supiniorting booms 10 projecting outwardly from the side of the vessel and constituting an outrigging for maintaining the protecting device in spaced relation to the side of the vessel. In its preferred form,` each boom comprises an inner section lll, and an outer section l2 lpivotally connected at 14 as sho-wn more particularly in Fig. l0. rIlhe inner end of each of the booms has a pivotal connection 15 with the piston members 16 closely fitting within the chambers 17 hav ing buite-r springs 18 mounted therein to absorb shocks transmitted to the booms through the protectors, or otherwise.

For raising and lowering the booms, and their associated parts, for placing the protectors in inoperative or'operative positions as may be desired, I have shown a suitable type of windlass 19 secured at any convenient point on the vessel and adapted to wind up the cables 20 upon actuation thereof in the proper direction either manually or mechanically as desired. Any suitable and well known type of pawl'andratchet construction 2l may be used for preventing accidental rotation thereof in the wrong direction. The cables 20 are preferably oonnected to the outer ends of the inner boom sections l1 so that d-uring the raising or lowering operation folding movement of the boom sections is freely permitted. Any suitable type of braces 22 may be employed at such positions as may be deemed mostet` fective for rigidly maintaining the parts in operative position. is illustrated, the braces are pivotally connected at one end so that they swing about fixed axes, while at the other end they are pivoted to T-plates 24. adapted to slide in channel members25 as shown in detail in Fig. 11. Since the mountings of all the various braces employed are the same, it is believed to be unnecessary to specifically describe each one separately. It will `be understood that the general structure and arrangement of Vbraces is such that they do not interfere with the movement of the boom from one position to another. In folding, the Vlonger braces 22 are slid inwardly along their respective booms, Whereby the inner pivoted portions of the braces may be slid upwardly out of engagement with the channel guides 25 on the sides of Ithe vessel, and the'entire structure folded along the booms in compact relationship therewith. Suitable cables 26 passing around xed pulleys 27 may be employed for holding the braces in operative bracing positions.

It is believed that in view of the foregoing the construction and operation of the supporting booms Will be readily understood. Mounted for travel in each of the supporting booms, in the manner heretofore briefly described, are carriages 7, a separate carriage being provided for each of the side bars 28 of each of the inner and outer protector members. Mounted on opposite sides of the bars 2S are angle iron braces 29 so positioned as to underlie the trackfways 9 and prevent undue swinging movement of the protectors. The angle irons 29 coperate with the stops 30 thereby properly positioning the protectors as will be more fully pointed out herein after.

For moving or sliding the protectors along the track-Ways there may be provided cables 31 passing around pulleys 32 on the ends of the booms, and connected in any desired manner to the outer protectors. The outer protectors are in turn connected to the inner protectors 5 by means of flexible braces 34 tending to maintain the protectors in predetermined spaced relation, the limit of travel of the inner protectors 5 being determined by suitable stay wires or the like 35. Travel of the protectors in the. opposite direction is obtained by means of the cables 36 passing arou-nd fixed pulleys 37 on the booms and secured to the opposite side of the outer protectors. Buffers 38 positioned at desired intervals on either of the protectors are provided for maintaining the same in proper spaced relation when moved to inoperative position for folding.

Each of the protectors is preferably constructed of upper members 39 pivotally secured to the carriages 7 by any forni of pivot permitting movement through an arc of 90, and lower members 40 pivotally secured to the ends of off-set portions 41 on the upper members. By reference to Fig. l it will be seen that the pivotal connections for the inner and outer members are in different vertical planes thereby permitting` the same to nest as shown in dotted lines until the buffers become effective to limit the movement thereof. From nested position the lower ends of the protectors may be swung upwardly, as shown, by means of cables 42, so that the entire device may be compactly folded to inoperative position so as not to interfere to any great extent with the loading and unloading of the vessel. The construction of the yprotectors whereby the lower members of the same constitute pivoted continuations of the upper members but extending in a different .plane is an important feature of the resent invention, inasmuch as it permits olding or unfolding of the protectors while -projected below the water line.

Both members of each of the inner protectors are provided with a series of transverse bars 44 rigidly secured to the side bars 28 in spaced relation as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The length of the bars 44 may be varied Within wide limits in accordance with the number of sections of which the protecting device is constructed. Each of the bars 44 has pivotallymounted on opposite sides similarly constructed torpedo inltercepting blades 45. VIn order that the weight of the entire device may be decreased to a minimum, and also in order that the bars and blades may present as little surface as possible to the medium through which the same is traveling, the blades are preferably constructed with inclined sides 46. In normal inoperative position the blades 45 are adapted to extend in substantial parallelism with the supporting bars 44 as shown clearly in Fig. 7. The blades are maintained in this position by catches or triggers 47 adapted to engage notches 48 formed in the ends of the blades. The triggers are held in engaging 4position by springs 49 mounted in housings 50 against which they abut Tending to move the blades 45 around their pivots 51 are springs 52 having tension coils 54 secured in any desired manner to the bars 44. The ends of the springs are mounted in keepers 55 projecting from the sides cf the blades. It will be apparent that upon release of the triggers the springs will be effective to swing the blades, swinging more- `ment being limited by the transversestops 56 mounted on the bars 44. rlChe stops 56 are preferably so positioned that they maintain the blades, while in open or operative position, at substantially right angles to the supporting bars.

Since an object of the present invention is to decrease to as large an extent as possible the surface presented at all times so that the free motion of the water is not prevented to any large extent, it is preferred to space the bars 44 such a distance that there would be room between the same for the passage of a torpedo if the arms 45 were in their inoperative positions in parallelism with the supporting bars. For effectively preventing the passage of a torpedo, it becomes necessary, therefore, to provide trigger actuating mechanism for the triggers 47 so that upon the approach of Va torpedo the intercepting blades 45 will be swung to operative positions. For functioning in this manner I have provided the outer protectors 6 with flexible strips or bars 57 of any desired shape and constructed of any suitable comparatively exible material, such for example as chrome nickel steel. The rods 57 are mounted in eye-bolts 5S or the like extending through the side bars 2S which may be round or rectangular in shape, and yieldingly supported to permit a limited lateral movement thereof by springs 59 surrounding the same and abuting at one end against the bars 28 and at the other end against collars o1' cross pins 60. The rods 57 are of such length that they project to a. considerable extent beyond the sides of the bars 28. It is contemplated that the rods shall have sufficient flexibility so that upon being struck by a moving object travelingy in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5 the same shall be bent inwardly to dotted line position, thereby moving the ends outwardly away from the supporting bars. This movement of the ends of the rods is relied upon for actuation of the Ytriggers 47 through the following connect- 65 on the side bars 2S of the innerl protectors. The cords 62 and 64' are then joined to the ends of the rods 57 by suitable tension members 65. It will be understood that in case the blades are all mounted for movement in the same direction, that it will be necessary to only provide tension members 65 at one end of the rods 67. Since, however, the arrangement of the blades may be such that a movement of the triggers in the opposite direction from that shownv is required for their release, I have in Fig. 3 illustrated the possibility of providing suitable tension members secured to opposite ends of the rods.

It is believed that from the foregoing the construction and operation of my protecting device will be obvious. By reason of the boom construction, the entire device may be lifted above the water line when the vessel is traveling' through neutral waters, and then lowered as the same approachesa danger zone. The arrangement of protectors permits a compact folding of the same when in inoperative position, and the pro vision of inner and outer protectors is desirable as the outer protector may then function as a trigger actuating means for the inner protector, thereby decreasing the number of parts which would ordinarily be necessary to successfully intercept the passage of a torpedo. At the same time, by reason of this construction the device normally presents a comparatively small surface area to the medium through whichy it is traveling, which area is automatically increased by and upon the approach of a torpedo.

Inasmuch as it is expected that a single torpedo may destroy one or more sections of the protecting device, there may be provided for use in connection with this construction a net which may7 be rolled down the cables 31 and weighted to assume a position in front of the section of the protector which has been destroyed. This will act to temporarily repair the entire device until the section or sections destroyed can be replaced.

That I claim is 1. A protecting device for vessels, comprising a plurality of bars, blades mounted thereon, and means for changing the position of said blades upon the approach of a torpedo.

2. A sectional protecting device for vessels, comprising a plurality of bars, torpedo intercepting blades mounted thereon, and means for changing the position of said blades upon the approach of a torpedo.

3. A protecting device for vessels, comprising a plurality of bars, torpedo interw cepting b-lades mounted thereon, and means for automatically changing the position of said blades upon the approach of a torpedo.

et. A protecting device forl vessels, comprising a-plurality of bars, torpedo intercepting blades mounted thereon and normally maintained in inoperative position, and means for moving said blades to operative position upon the approach of a torpedo.

5. A protecting device for vessels, comprising a plurality of bars, spring pressed torpedo intercepting blades mounted there,- on, and means actuated by a torpedo for automatically moving the said blades to torpedo intercepting position.

6. A protecting device for vessels, comprising a plurality of bars, Vtorpedo interceptingV blades carried thereby in inoperative position, means for maintaining said blades in inoperative position, and means for automatically moving said blades kto operative position upon theapproach of a torpedo.

7. A protecting devicefor vessels, comprising a plurality of bars, blades pivotally mounted thereon, a catch for holding said blades in inoperative position, and spring pressed means for moving the blades to op erative position upon the release of said catch,

8. A protecting device for vessels, comprising a plurality of'bars, torpedo intercepting blades mounted thereon, means for holding said blades substantially parallel to said bars to decrease resistance of the same to travel through thefwater, and means for moving said blades to positions at substantially lright angles to said bars to increase the effective protecting surface.

9. A protecting device for vessels, comprising an inner protector, an outer protector, torpedo intercepting blades on the inner protector, and means on the outer protector for controlling the position of lsaid blades.

10. A protecting device for vessels, comprising an inner protector, an outer protector, torpedo intercepting blades on the inner protector normally occupying inoperativeV positions, and means on the outer protector for causing said blades to move to operative positions. Y

11. A protecting device for vessels, comprising an upper member having an offset at its lower end, a lower member constituting a continuation thereof in a different pla-ne, and means at the extremity of the offset vfor pivotally connecting said members.

1Q.. A protecting device for vessels, comprising an inner protector having an upper member provided with an offset at its lower end, a lower member constituting a continuation thereof in a different plane, means at the extremity of the offset for pivotally connecting said members, and an outer protector cooperating therewith. y

13. A protecting device 'for vessels, comprising an inner protector, an outer protector, each of said protectors comprising upper and lower members constituting continuations of each other in di'erent planes, and lIoneans for pivotally. connecting said memers.

14. A torpedo intercepting device, comprising a bar, a blade pivotally mounted on said bar, means for maintaining said blade normally in parallelism with said bar, and means for causing said blade to assume an angular relation to said bar. A

l5. A protecting device, comprising supporting booms, means for raising and lowering said booms, and inner and outer protector members carried thereby, the inner protector member being provided with a plurality of torpedo intercepting blades normally in inoperative positions, and the outer protector constituting a control for moving said blades to operative positions.

16. A protecting device, comprising supporting booms, means for raising and lowering said booms, and inner and outer protector members pivotally carried thereby, the inner protector being provided with a plurality of torpedo intercepting blades normally in inoperative positions, and the outer protector constituting a control for moving said blades to operative positions.

17. A protecting device, comprisin supporting booms, means for raising anc 10W- ering said booms, and inner and outer protector members slidably and pivotally carried thereby, the inner protector being provided Witli a plurality of torpedo intercepting blades normally in inoperative positions, and the outer protector constituting a control for moving said blades to operative positions.

RUSSELL H. MAXWELL.

copian of this potent may be obtained for iive cent each, by addressing the "Commissioner o! Intento,

Washington, D. 0. 

